A Canton travelogue with tales of Matthews, Thomas, Irvin

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Before we analyze where the Texans stand going into their first preseason game against the Bears at Reliant Stadium, I want to share with you some Hall of Fame anecdotes and thank so many of those who helped make this year perhaps the most memorable of all.

First, I’d like to thank Bruce Matthews, his wife, Carrie, and his family for being so gracious at a time when they could have been overwhelmed. From the time we met in the Astrodome two weeks ago to filmour seven-part video series for Chron.comuntil we shook hands and said goodbye about midnight Saturday, Matthews was the consummate host for family and friends who came from all over the country to honor one of the greatest offensive linemen in history.

Al Messerschmidt: Getty Images

Bruce Matthews, meet Bruce Matthews

By the way, I can’t tell you how proud I am of that video series. Chance McClain did a fantastic job with each video, especially the last one. If you haven’t seen it, check it out and go all the way until the credits have rolled. And thanks to Anna-Megan Raley for helping us and doing the introduction to the series.

At the end of Part VII, there’s a picture we ran in the Chronicle in 1997. It shows Matthews walking off the practice field, his back to the camera, and as he approaches the doors to the Oilers’ old facility, he raises his left arm and waves. He was waving good-bye to Houston because they were moving to Tennessee. At the time, that picture brought tears to my eyes. And it did again when I watched the video.

What made this video series so special to me is that Matthews will be the last Oiler inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Even if running back Eddie George makes it, as I believe he should, he spent only one season in Houston before they moved. Technically, George would be the last Oiler. But, truthfully, how can any of us seriously consider anyone but Matthews for that distinction?

I guess because we consider Matthews as the last Oiler and because the series was shot in the Astrodome and brought back so many memories for us, the interviews were even more special. On a personal note, having so many former Oilers players, coaches and other members of the organization watch the series and then e-mail or call about it made it even more memorable.

Thanks to all of you who took the time to write to Bruce. I’ve posted every comment you sent, including the incredibly rude and crude one from John, in the blog. I’ll wait a few more days for you to send comments that Matthews will read. I’m going to put the seven-part series on a DVD and print out all of your comments. Then I’m going to deliver both to Carrie and Bruce. You’ve still got time to tell Bruce what you think, so send your comments to this blog, and I’ll make sure he gets everything I post.

Among others, I’d like to thank the Hall of Fame’s Steve Perry, Joe Horrigan, Pete Fierle, Chris Shilling and Bill Allen for putting on such a good show and for taking such good care of me during my four days in Canton.

John McClain (cell phone)

Bo Eason stops by Ozzie Newsome’s little corner of the Hall of Fame.

As I’ve told you for years, if you’ve never been to Canton, Ohio, plan a trip. Don’t wait until it’s too late, and you wish you’d made the trip to the birthplace of the NFL. Going to Canton on Hall of Fame Weekend is the best time, but if you can’t, go any time. There’s never a bad time to go. And while you’re in Canton, go to Cleveland and check out the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; it’s just a long punt from Cleveland Browns Stadium.

• • •

Former Oilers safety Bo Eason, an actor and screenwriter in Los Angeles (and here’s his IMDB entry), came to Canton for the first time since the Oilers played the Giants in 1985. Like many of his former teammates, Eason came to pay tribute to Matthews.

Eason spent four years with the Oilers and one with the 49ers before a knee injury ended his career. Still, he found himself in two pictures in the Hall of Fame.

In the display that honors former Browns tight end Ozzie Newsome, there’s a picture of Newsome being tackled by Eason, No. 21. In the display that honors former Rams running back Eric Dickerson, there’s a picture of Eason tackling Dickerson on the run that allowed him to break O.J. Simpson’s season rushing record in 1984.

Before Saturday’s induction, Eason attended a luncheon with friends. He saw Lions president Matt Millen, who played for the Raiders, 49ers and Redskins. Eason told a hilarious story about his rookie season.

“It was the 1984 opener, and we hosted the Raiders in the Astrodome,” Eason said. “We lost (24-14), and on one play, Larry Moriarty got the ball on a sweep, and Matt rode him hard out of bounds. Larry ended up under our bench.

“Well, we went nuts on the sideline. We were screaming and calling Millen every dirty name in our vocabulary. We yelled at the officials to throw a flag, but they didn’t. All of a sudden, while we were pointing and going ballistic at Millen, he stops, turns to us, holds his arms out and says, `Guys! What’s the big deal? He’s from Notre Dame!’ And we were like, `Yeah, he’s right; what’s the big deal?’”

• • •

One of the things that bothers the heck out of me about the Hall of Fame is the members who never show up once they’re inducted. They ought to be ashamed. Usually, the higher profile they are, the less likely they are to return.

For instance, I saw only four quarterbacks at the Ray Nitschke Memorial Luncheon that’s every Friday before the Saturday induction. Jim Kelly and Warren Moon promised to return every year, and they were there. Troy Aikman was there to honor Michael Irvin. Bart Starr came back, as well.

But where were John Elway, Joe Montana and Dan Marino? Too busy, I’m sure. How difficult is it to make plans every year to be in Canton? There are many more who never return, but they’re the ones missing out on an incredible experience year after year.

John McClain (cell phone)

Former opponents in the AFC Wildcard Game (Warren Moon and Thurman Thomas) get together in Canton, Ohio.

When former Oilers end Elvin Bethea was finally voted in, he said he’d return as long as he was breathing, and I believe him. Too bad every member doesn’t feel that way.

By the way, I had a Hall of Fame photographer take a picture that I’m going to run in a blog when I get it. The picture is of these former Oilers who attended the Nitschke luncheon: Bethea, Moon, Bruce Matthews, Mike Munchak and Ken Houston. What a group! Unfortunately, the picture will be sullied by the presence of Houston’s representative on the 39-member selection committee.

There’s a picture from the Nitschke luncheon sure to bring back bad memories for Oilers fans: Moon and Thurman Thomas. I asked them to pose outside, under a true, and they were happy to do it. Every time I see Thomas (or any member of that Buffalo team, and you know which one I’m talking about) it brings back some bad memories.

• • •

Speaking of Thurman Thomas, after he retired from the NFL, he moved his family to Orlando. Some thought he’d return to Houston since he grew up in Missouri City and starred at Willowridge High School, but he didn’t.

Thomas bought what’s called an RV, but it’s really a bus. There’s no doubt who owns the bus. There are Thomas pictures in his Bills uniform on both sides of the bus. Hall of Fame Class of 2007 is on the sides of the bus, too.

Thomas’ bus was parked near the Hall of Fame. Fans were taking pictures of it because it was so unusual — unique actually. But he and his family were having the times of their lives, as they should have been considering he was being immortalized in Canton.

John McClain (cell phone)

Jerome Bettis is The Bus; Thurman Thomas has a bus (above), though he calls it an RV.

I was dying to knock on the door to see if the inside was as impressive as I figured it was, but I didn’t want to disturb anyone. Late Saturday night, after the parties had quieted down in what turned out to be tent city, Thomas’ family and friends sat outside his bus discussing the events of the day.

• • •

Because I was writing, I’m not exactly sure what television reported when one of the most incredible and emotional scenes in Hall of Fame history took place.

Bob Hickerson ended his acceptance speech that honored his father, former Browns guard Gene Hickerson, who suffers from Alzheimer’s and bascular dementia.

Those of us who attended the enshrinees’ banquet at the Civic Center the night before had seen Hickerson in his wheelchair, sitting peacefully at his table with his family and close friend Bobby Franklin, who would introduce him the next day.

When Hickerson received his gold jacket on Friday, Franklin draped it over his shoulders. Hickerson can’t move, so he couldn’t acknowledge the event, even though his family is certain he knew what was happening.

A day later, during Franklin’s introduction speech and his son’s acceptance speech, Hickerson was out of sight. We figured he had to remain indoors or he had suffered a setback. None of us was prepared for what was to come.

We were all in shock when Hickerson was wheeled out by Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell and Leroy Kelly, Hall of Fame running backs who piled up a lot of yards running behind Hickerson. It was an incredibly emotional moment for Hickerson’s family and friends as well as Browns fans who were in attendance or watching on television.

Tony Dejak: AP

Gene Hickerson had a million-dollar crew of running backs with him on stage.

To understand the significance, consider this: Brown, the greatest running back in history and maybe the greatest player ever, had never been back to the Hall of Fame since he was inducted. Every year, it’s a given that Brown won’t be at the ceremony, but there he was on the stage. Man, oh, man!

Here’s how it happened: Hall of Fame executives didn’t know until Thursday if Hickerson would be well enough to attend the festivities on Friday and Saturday. When they received assurances from Hickerson’s family that they would make sure he got there, vice president of communications Joe Horrigan called Brown to see if he would appear with Mitchell and Kelly with Hickerson.

To Brown’s credit, he didn’t hesitate in agreeing to join his former teammates at such a momentous occasion. What an unbelievable picture that made, and it ran on the front page or the front page of sports in just about every newspaper in Ohio.

Mitchell attends the induction every year; Kelly goes most years. But we may never see Brown return to Canton.

• • •

The Ray Nitschke Memorial Luncheon was on Friday, and about 90 members of the Hall of Fame attended to welcome the Class of 2007. The new members can’t speak, but they must listen to veterans talk about the induction and what being in the Hall of Fame means.

After the luncheon, Michael Irvin stuck around and spent about 45 minutes talking with me, Charean Williams (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) and Jarrett Bell (USA Today). I wish all of you could have been there because Irvin was so humble and so appreciative of being part of the Class of 2007 it was almost hard to believe.

Irvin told us fascinating, behind-the-scenes stories about the Cowboys and why they were successful. He sounded so sincere about what the weekend meant to him. We asked him about why he chose Jerry Jones to introduce him and had he finished his acceptance speech.

At that point, Williams, Bell and I were stunned when Irvin said he had not written down anything and didn’t plan to make any notes. We told him he was nuts.

“I’ve got it right here,” he said, patting his heart. “I’ve got it inside me. I’ve got so many to thank. I’ve been so blessed. I know everybody says I should at least make notes and keep them in my pocket, but I’ve been carrying around my speech in my heart for a long time.”

Bill Koustron: AP

One-third of the Triplets.

I was eager to hear Irvin’s speech, but when Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell and Leroy Kelly stole the show by wheeling out Gene Hickerson in his wheelchair, I felt bad for Jones and Irvin. They were going last at a time when many fans were emotionally drained.

But then Jones rallied with an excellent introduction for Irvin. And then Irvin made what is the most emotional, gut-wrenching speech I’ve ever heard. I was writing on deadline, but I had to stop because I was mesmerized by his words and his tears and his heartfelt sincerity.

After listening to Irvin on Friday, I knew how much that speech meant to him. And now I know why. I still get goose bumps thinking about it.

Hours later, after attending Bruce Matthews’ party, we moved to Irvin’s party. I watched as so many of his former teammates and coaches hugged him and spoke to him. Some of them started crying with him all over again. I figured the Playmaker would be emotionally spent by that late hour, and he was close to it. But wave after wave of friends and fans continued to congratulate him. It was an impressive sight, no matter what you think about Irvin or the Cowboys.

• • •

Here’s a Michael Irvin story told to us during Monday’s practice by Tony Wyllie, the Texans’ vice president of communications.

Wyllie grew up in Houston, attended Cypress-Fairbanks High School and graduated from Texas Southern. While at TSU, he was a game-day intern with the Oilers. When he graduated, the Oilers offered him a season-long internship, but so did the Cowboys. It was 1993. Wyllie accepted the offer from Rich Dalrymple, the Cowboys’ director of media relations.

The words “shy” and “Wyllie” have never been used in the same sentence, but when he arrived at the Cowboys’ facility, he was in awe. He kept his mouth shut and his eyes and ears open. During training camp, after the Cowboys had received their Super Bowl rings, Irvin told Wyllie they were going to get him one.

“I didn’t even know he knew who I was,” Wyllie said, “but he told me they were going to win the Super Bowl and I’d get a Super Bowl ring, too. When we got to the NFC Championship Game (against San Francisco), I was real nervous before the game. He came over to me and said something like, “Tony, this ain’t our first rodeo. I told you back in camp we’d get that ring for you, so be cool.”

The Cowboys won another Super Bowl, and after the game, Irvin grabbed Wyllie and hugged him. “Michael said, ‘Didn’t I tell you we’d get a ring for you? Didn’t I tell you? Just remember this: It don’t mean a thing unless you get that ring.’ And he was right.”

• • •

Now, let’s get to the Texans, and I’ll do a lot more on them before the Bears game. Then I’ll blog during the game, as I did last year.

Right now, I’m like Allen Iverson. I’m tired of practice. Bring on the preseason games. Then get them over with so we can start the regular season.

Here are some things I feel strongly about: Mario Williams will have double-digit sacks. I remember in 1985 when Bruce Smith was the first pick in the draft, many called him a bust. Now he’s a first-ballot selection to the Hall of Fame in 2009.

I believe DeMeco Ryans will become a perennial Pro Bowl selection. I don’t think Andre Johnson will have 100 catches again, but I believe he’ll have a better average per catch than last season’s 11.1 and more than the five touchdowns he scored last season.

I think Ahman Green will rush for at least 1,200 yards if he stays healthy and the Texans will rush for at least 1,800 and average at least 4 yards a carry.

• • •

The way it’s stacking up, the Texans will open at home against the Chiefs as Kansas City is missing running back Larry Johnson because of a holdout. It also may happen that he will have just reported that week because players start to make the big bucks then. Either way, the Texans will be extremely fortunate because of those circumstances.

The Texans’ second home game will be against the Colts, a team they defeated 27-24 on Christmas Eve. The Texans ran for 191 yards, including 153 by Ron Dayne, who scored two touchdowns.

Last season, the Colts lost to each AFC South opponent because they couldn’t stop the run. They enter preseason without defensive tackle Anthony McFarland, who suffered a knee injury. They waived defensive tackle Corey Simon last week. They lost outside linebacker Cato June and both starting cornerbacks, Nick Harper and Jason David, to free agency. And safety Bob Sanders is on physically unable to perform at the moment.

In other words, the Texans could be catching the Colts at the right time again.

The next week, the Texans play at Atlanta, where Matt Schaub will face his former teammates, who’ll have Joey Harrington as their starting quarterback.

After the Falcons, they host Miami, a team the Texans beat last season at Reliant Stadium. Then they travel to Jacksonville, a team they swept last season.

It’s early, of course, but in their first six games, they get some huge breaks. And speaking of breaks, imagine what it’ll be like if Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme suffers an injury before the Panthers host the Texans in the second game. That means David Carr will start against his former team.

Think about this: The Texans host the Titans on Oct. 21. The Titans lost their leading rusher (Travis Henry), their leading receiver (Drew Bennett) and their best defensive player and return man (Pacman Jones). But they do still have What’s His Name at quarterback.